March 10th, 2016 Betting Tips: NBA, March Madness

Thursday is usually all about the NBA with the big games on NBA on TNT, but it’s the second week of March right now and that means that March Madness is upon us. The conference tournaments are starting and the best couple of weeks of college basketball of the year is upon us. The usual suspects are favorite to win the whole thing with Michigan State, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky topping the latest futures odds. We have a few good tips for today’s conference games if you are the type to sit around all day watching basketball.

Of course, we’re still about the NBA on Thursdays. We went 3-1 with our NBA picks on Tuesday so we’ll look to continue that roll tonight. Tonight we have a potential playoff match-up as the Toronto Raptors host the Atlanta Hawks. The Raptors have been gaining on the Cavs for the number one seed in the East while the Hawks have been playing some amazing defense. I’ll be watching this one closely.

The NBA on TNT games are the beat up Bulls taking on the Spurs and Cleveland against the Lakers. So, not a great night for prime time basketball.

College Basketball Betting Tips:

The first two tips we have are 2:30 Eastern games.

Despite having a similar record, Butler against Providence is not as close of a match-up as you would think. Butler has a +10 point differential compared to Providence’s +5. Providence is 5-1 against the spread versus Butler over the past five years so you know that Butler has that in the back of their mind. I think that they are the better team really want this one and will beat that trend today. Butler -3.5.

Duke and Notre Dame is a good match-up today. The last couple of seasons have seen Notre Dame beat up on Duke, they beat them in the regular season this season and in this same tournament last year. You have to wonder if there is some part of Duke that wants to save themselves for the real NCAA tournament where they are making it in no matter what. This game just feels more important to Notre Dame +2.5 than it does Duke and those last couple of wins should count for something.

After a rough start that saw their coach leave, Wisconsin has been getting it done and should be a threat in the Big Ten Tournament. Tonight, Wisconsin -6 should easily take care of Nebraska.

NBA Betting Tips:

The Atlanta Hawks defense is scary. They’ve allowed less than 100 in five of their past seven and those other two were against the Warriors (who they held to lower than normal numbers). They are a tough out every time and I pity the team that draws them in round one of the playoffs. Toronto can roll with them and as I said earlier I think this will be the game to watch tonight. Under 200 is the play here tonight. I think Toronto should win this one, but the low scoring game is the good bet.

I hate laying this many points, but the Cavaliers -10 are going to roll over the Lakers tonight. They learned their lesson underestimating their opponent against Memphis earlier this week and they are going to be locked in tonight.